The Portland Historical Society and Portland Main Street are teaming up to present a walking tour of the 100 block of Kent Street in historic downtown Portland beginning at 10:30 a.m. June 22.

The tour, which will begin at the Portland District Library, will feature both the exteriors and interiors of landmark buildings downtown, and focus on the history of the buildings and the stories of the people who lived and worked in them.

"This tour definitely highlights the immense history that we have," said Main Street Manager Patrick Reagan. "Downtown Portland is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. That puts us in some unique company and shows why we are interested in celebrating our downtown's history."

The downtown historic district was the commercial and social center of Portland from the 1830s until the 1960s, when businesses began moving to the outskirts of the downtown area and drawing commercial traffic with it. The historic district contains examples of late 19th- and early 20th-century commercial architecture found in typical downtowns of Michigan villages.

Highlights of the tour will include the Portland Opera House (circa 1880), the Tin Shop, Webber State Savings Bank building (circa 1870), the 137 Kent St. Building (Walt's On Inn) and the second-story apartment and offices in the Opera Hall Block.

The tour will end with a complimentary coffee and cookie at Cheeky Monkeys Coffeehouse and Bakery.

Some of the buildings' interiors usually are not open to the public, and participants are welcome to bring their cameras for this opportunity.

Marilyn Johnson, a Portland historian who currently lives in Tennessee, plans to be in town for the event, as does Ruth Anne Peake. Ruth Anne and her late husband, David Peake, owned the Peake Building, where the Brick House Grill is now located.

Also joining the tour will be historic architect Kelly Larson from the Michigan Main Street Center and the State Historic Preservation Office.

The walking tour held in March was initiated by the library to dovetail with a book a discussion group was studying. The tour was attended by around 50 people, said event organizer and Portland Main Street Design Committee Chairperson Shelley Perry.

The March tour also resulted in renewed interest in the historical society, as well as historical Portland, said Perry.

"We had numerous requests to host another walk, so we invited our 'tour guide,' local historian Jeanne Bewersdorph, to join us for another round," said Perry.

"Our historical society wants to raise awareness for families of Portland about their heritage and why our town is important ... for people to be aware of the people who lived here, worked here and built this town," said Bewersdorph. "We want to keep that history alive and pass it on to the next generation, and include as many people as we can to participate and tell their stories."

Page 2 of 2 - For more information about the walking tour, visit www.portlandmainstreet.org, or call the Portland Main Street offices at 517-647-5027 or Shelley Perry at 616-558-5863.